Mike Hatchard : Cycling ‘LEJOG’ – with a Piano ! (raising money for Children in Need).
A wonderful evening of music & humour
“… like Victor Borge – on acid!” The Scotsman
Virtuoso pianist, singer/songwriter and raconteur, Mike Hatchard is cycling, with an electric piano in tow, from Land’s End to John O’Groats, to raise money for the BBC’s Children in Need charity.
Starting his journey at the open-air Minack Theatre, Mike will make his way along the South Coast, before heading North to Scotland via the Edinburgh Festival (1,400 miles in all! )
Mike Hatchard has had an extraordinarily diverse career as a musician. He began as the pianist for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and toured America as Cleo Laine’s accompanist as a member of the John Dankworth Quintet and became Matt Monro’s youngest ever musical director.
However, a penchant for cartooning and comedy made his career take some unexpected turns. He invented a character ‘Marvin Hanglider’, and for many years performed at the Edinburgh Festival, described in The Scotsman as a ‘fringe staple.’
He toured as musical director for comedienne Pamela Stephenson, and co-wrote songs with Frankie Howerd and Spike Milligan. For many years he was closely associated with Herbie Flowers (of Sky fame) which included all sorts of work in prisons, in schools and at the Southbank (Mike has also performed his one man show twice at the Purcell Rooms) and in disabled centres.
He has also worked with David Essex, the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Julia Migenes Johnson, Liane Carroll, Alan Barnes, George Martin and Tina May.
Recently his career went full circle when he was asked to compere Cleo Laine’s eighty-fifth birthday concert at Wavendon, and also appeared alongside Cleo in the celebrated Christmas Shows to packed audiences.
With over forty concerts along the way, in every type of venue imaginable, this really is a labour of love.
Please click here to make donations on Mike’s JustGiving page for Children In Need.
Click here to book Tickets in advance :
Standard : £10.00
Or Call (01726) 879500
Buy over the counter at Tourist Offices in St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, Truro, St Mawes, Bodmin, St Austell, Looe, Liskeard & Launceston plus The Heartlands, Pool, Redruth and ‘Bookends’ Fowey
